Clarion Golden Eagles (5-1, 1-1 PSAC West) at California (PA) Vulcans (4-2, 1-2 PSAC West)
Saturday, October 18 // 3:00 PM
California, Pa. // Adamson Stadium
 
Quick Notes

• The Golden Eagles will head down south for another PennWest civil war on Saturday afternoon when they face off with California (PA) at Adamson Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m.
• This will be the 94th meeting between the Golden Eagles and the Vulcans, making it one of the oldest rivalries in the Clarion record books. California (PA) owns a 52-38-3 advantage in the all-time series.
• Linebacker Griffin Buzzell and kicker Andrew Kurtas won two of the three PSAC West weekly football awards last week, with Buzzell named the division's Defensive Athlete and Kurtas the Special Teams Athlete of the Week.
• The Golden Eagles are coming off a thrilling 48-46 win over Gannon last week, with Clarion's Andrew Kurtas kicking the game-winning field goal with four seconds left on the clock.
• Through six games, the Golden Eagles rank second in the PSAC West division and third overall in the conference with an average of 38.7 points per game.
• Ninety-nine of Clarion's offensive plays this year have qualified as an "explosive" play, making up 25 percent of their season total plays to date.
• Running back Khalon Simmons ranks second in NCAA Super Region 1 with nine rushing touchdowns in six games.
• Receiver Davon Jones leads the PSAC and ranks 10th in the nation in receptions at 6.8 per game, and went over 100 yards receiving for the third straight game in the win over Gannon.
• Receiver Holt Egan caught three touchdowns in the win over Gannon, making him the first Golden Eagles to catch three in a game since 2019.
• Quarterback Jase Ferguson made his first career start in the win over Gannon, throwing for 334 yards and four touchdowns while also running for a game-high 81 yards and a score.
• Zay Brisbane ranks sixth in D-II and second in the Region with an average of 1.50 passes defended per game.
• Golden Eagles defenders have forced seven fumbles this year, second most in the PSAC to date.
• Clarion has been one of the best teams in the country at protecting the ball, ranking eighth in the nation to date with just four turnovers lost.
• Punter Frankie Passantino III currently ranks second in the PSAC in punts downed inside the 20-yard line (10) and has kicked just one touchback.
• The Golden Eagles boast one of the top punt return coverage units in the country, allowing opponents an average of just 0.7 yards per return to rank sixth in NCAA Division II.
• Kicker Andrew Kurtas has been a perfect 6-for-6 on field goal attempts so far this year, the only player in the PSAC to be at 100 percent with at least six attempts.

 
Series History

• This will be the 94th meeting between the Golden Eagles and the Vulcans, making it one of the oldest rivalries in the Clarion record books. California (PA) owns a 52-38-3 advantage in the all-time series. The Vulcans have won 18 straight meetings dating back to the 2005 season.
• The last time the Golden Eagles beat the Vulcans  was on Sept. 25, 2004, with Clarion earning a 35-34 win over Cal at Memorial Stadium. The so-called "Miracle at Memorial" ended when Brandon Dando heaved a 47-yard Hail Mary pass to Joe Farkas with four seconds remaining on the clock, capping an improbable comeback win. Linebacker Matt Morris had six tackles and a sack, while safety Bo Busch recorded 10 tackles and one interception.
• The last win for Clarion at Adamson Stadium was on Oct. 7, 2000, a 32-28 victory. Adam Almashy led a successful touchdown drive late in the game, scoring on a two-yard run with under a minute to play. That capped a three-touchdown day for the signal caller, while Tab Musser ran 17 times for 82 yards and two scores.
• In last year's meeting, the Golden Eagles led for the vast majority of the game but allowed a Vulcan touchdown with less than a minute remaining, falling 31-27 to Cal at Memorial Stadium. Mathew McGregor caught a touchdown pass from Zack Slomers on a fake field goal to open the scoring, and the duo of Khalon Simmons and Anthony Guercio both recorded touchdown runs.

 
Scouting the Vulcans

• California (PA) was predicted to finish third in the PSAC West division in 2025 one year after posting a 10-3 record overall and going undefeated to win the PSAC West title. The Vulcans won two games in the NCAA Playoffs and finished the year ranked 12th in NCAA Division II in the American Football Coaches Association poll.
• The Vulcans spent most of the season ranked in the top-25 this year, reaching as high as sixth to this point after beating #4 Slippery Rock on the road on Sept. 27. Since then they have dropped two straight games, losing 16-7 to Seton Hill on Oct. 4 and 33-29 to Edinboro last week, with that loss dropping them from the AFCA Top 25.
• Cal has been one of the best teams in the conference at taking the ball away, ranking second in the PSAC and first in the West with eight interceptions to date. That also ranks sixth in Super Region 1.
• Sedrick Vessah has been a demon on special teams, blocking three kicks already this year to rank second in the nation in that category. He's also got 4.5 sacks, tied for fifth in the conference.
• D'Avay Johnson is tied for fourth in the PSAC with 4.5 receptions per game, and has 368 yards in the air.

 
Buzz at Linebacker

• Linebacker Griffin Buzzell earned his second consecutive Second Team All-PSAC West honor, as the linebacker continued his development into a leader not just on the defense but for the team. He ranked fourth in the PSAC with 90 tackles while also contributing 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception.
• Midway through the season Buzzell has been one of the best linebackers in the PSAC and the Region. He ranks first in the PSAC and tied for fourth in NCAA Division II with three forced fumbles, and is fifth in the nation in solo tackles with an average of 6.3 per game.
• Buzzell is seventh in the nation with an average of 11.3 total tackles per game.

 
So Far So Good

• Through six games, Andrew Kurtas is the only kicker in the PSAC with six or more field goal attempts without a miss.
• Kurtas' 8.0 points per game average is tied for the PSAC lead with Cal's Harry Radcliffe.

 
The Offense by the (Conventional) Numbers

• Through six games, the Golden Eagles rank second in the PSAC West division and third overall in the conference with an average of 38.7 points per game.
• That jibes well with their total offensive numbers; the Golden Eagles are second in the West and second overall with an average of 430.7 offensive yards per game. Clarion has eclipsed 500 yards of total offense in a game twice this season.
• The Golden Eagles' 603 yards of total offense in the win over Shepherd on Sept. 20 stands as the second highest single-game total in the conference to date,
• Clarion has scored 31 touchdowns this season, tied for second-most in the conference with Slippery Rock and ranking behind only behind Kutztown (37).
• Clarion has achieved 136 first downs in their first six games, tied for fifth-best in Super Region 1 and tied for the best in the PSAC with Gannon. That's an average of 22.7 first downs per game.

 
The Offense by the (Nerdy) Numbers

• The offense has been effective at getting yardage in big chunks; through five games the Golden Eagles have totaled 38 "explosive" runs (10+ yards) and 68 "explosive" pass plays (15+ yards) for a total of 99 "explosive" plays. That is an explosive play rate of 25.0 percent.
• Clarion has run 396 offensive plays in five games, the second-highest total in the PSAC West this season and the most on a per-game average in the division. The Golden Eagles' 6.5 yards per play average is their best since 2015.
• The offense has reached the red zone more than any other team in the PSAC, scoring 19 touchdowns on 28 trips inside the opponents' 20.
• The Golden Eagles have run 190 first down plays to this point in the season; of those,40 plays have gone for more than 11 yards, with 19 good for 20 or more yards.
• Clarion has achieved a first down or touchdown 100 times on first or second down; by comparison, they've run only 70 plays on third down all season.

 
Digging Into Defensive Stats

• Through six games the Golden Eagles defense has allowed an average of 24.8 points per game, fourth in the West.
• In those six games, the Golden Eagles have allowed just 18 opponent trips into the red zone, the fifth-lowest total in the conference and second in the PSAC West to date.
• Clarion has is allowing opponents to convert just 34.6 percent of their third down plays, the fifth-best mark in the PSAC and third in the West division.
• The Golden Eagles have allowed only 47 "explosive" plays in 2025, defined as a 10+ yard rush or a 15+ yard pass play. That is an explosive play rate of just 12.0 percent against for the season.

 
Dazzling First Start for Ferguson

• True freshman quarterback Jase Ferguson got the start under center against Gannon on Oct. 11, and the local product authored a sizzling stat line in the win over the Golden Knights.
• Ferguson completed 19 of 27 passes for 334 yards and four touchdowns against one interception, and was also the game's leading rusher with 13 carries for 81 yards.
• The frosh scored his first career touchdown in the first quarter, ripping off a 37-yard run and reaching the pylon to give the Golden Eagles the lead. Later in the first he connected with Holt Egan for a 14-yard touchdown pass to make it a 14-0 lead.
• Ferguson and Egan hooked up for three touchdown passes on the day, marking the first time a Golden Eagle player has caught three scores in a game since Kahliq Muhammad pulled down three scores from Jeff Clemens against Seton Hill on Oct. 5, 2019.
• Ferguson is just the third different quarterback at Clarion since 2014 to throw for 300+ yards and 4+ touchdowns in a game, joining Connor Simmons - who did it eight times from 2014-16 - and Taylor Eggers, who did it against Shippensburg on Sept. 19, 2021.

 
Simmons Busting Out on Offense

• Through six games, running back Khalon Simmons leads the PSAC with nine rushing touchdowns, which also ranks second in Super Region 1.
• Simmons ripped off a 44-yard touchdown run against Shippensburg on Sept. 13, the longest run of his career and the longest run for any Golden Eagle since the 2023 season.
• In the last five seasons, there have only been seven runs of 44 or more yards by a Golden Eagle:

 
                  Khalon Simmons vs. Shippensburg (9/13/25) - 44 yards
                  Anthony Guercio at Edinboro (10/21/23) - 55 yards
                  Khalil Owens vs. Bloomsburg (9/9/23) - 45 yards
                  Zach Benedek at Mercyhurst (10/15/22) - 55 yards
                  Khalil Owens at Mercyhurst (10/15/22) - 56 yards
                  Corahn Alleyne vs. Gannon (9/24/22) - 65 yards
                  Khalil Owens at Edinboro (11/6/21) - 52 yards
 
Four of a Kind

• Against Shepherd on Sept. 20, Khalon Simmons did something that very few Clarion players have ever done, scoring four rushing touchdowns in the win over the Rams.
• It was the first time any Clarion player scored four rushing touchdowns in a game since Patrick Graham-Murphy tied the school record with five scores against Millersville on Nov. 12, 2011.
• Simmons' game marks just the eighth time in program history a Golden Eagle player has rushed for four or more touchdowns in a single game.

 
Accolades Pile Up for Anthony Guercio

• Quarterback Anthony Guercio has earned numerous recognitions for his strong start to the season, with the ripples even reaching the national level.
• Guercio was named the D2Football.com Offensive Player of the Week, as well as the PSAC West Offensive Athlete of the Week, after his standout performance against Shepherd on Sept. 20.
• Guercio completed 26 of 35 passes for 413 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions, marking the first 400-yard passing game for a Clarion quarterback since Oct. 17, 2015. It was the fifth-highest single game total in program history. He also rushed 13 times for 60 yards.
• Guercio led the Clarion offense to 603 yards of total offense and 51 points, with both of those totals the best in a single game at Clarion since 2015.
• He previously won the PSAC West Offensive Athlete of the Week Award on Sept. 8 after putting up five total touchdowns in just 33 minutes of play in the Golden Eagles' road win over West Virginia Wesleyan.

 
Guercio in 2024

• The 2024 season featured an explosion from quarterback Anthony Guercio. He threw for 2,001 passing yards and 11 touchdowns, and then ranked second in the PSAC in total touchdowns with 12 rushing scores on the year.
• That was complemented by 645 rushing yards, giving him an average of 264.3 total offensive yards per game to rank third in the PSAC and sixth in Super Region 1.
• Guercio's 12 rushing touchdowns were the most for any Golden Eagles since Alfonso Hoggard's school record 17 touchdowns in 2009, and are tied for fifth in a single season in program history.
• When it came time to make a big play on the ground, Guercio was tops on the team in 2024. He led the team with 44 rushes for either first downs (32) or touchdowns (12). Logan Kent was second on the team with 15 such plays.

 
Climbing the List

• With two more rushing touchdowns against West Virginia Wesleyan on Sept. 4, Guercio became the fifth player in Golden Eagle history to rush for 20 touchdowns in a career. He is three away from tying Hall of Famer Elton Brown (23) on the career rushing touchdown list.
• Last year Guercio finished the season with 12 rushing touchdowns; if he matched that total this year, he would surpass Robert Walker (27) and Alfonso Hoggard (27) for second on the program's career list.

 
That's 34.2 Percent of a Mile, You Know

• Clarion's win over Shepherd on Sept. 20 saw the team explode for 603 yards of total offense, one of the best single-game marks in program history.
• That yardage total represented the best single-game total since putting up a record 676 yards against Seton Hill in the 2015 season.

 
Holt and Catch Fire

• After putting up modest, even minimal numbers, in his first year as a Golden Eagle, Holt Egan has jumped onto the scene as a dangerous target in the Clarion passing game. The senior wide receiver has 22 receptions for 421 yards and five touchdowns, with his scoring total tied for third in the PSAC.
• Egan has been a big play threat for the Golden Eagles, with his 19.1 yards per reception average ranking fifth in the PSAC.
• Egan ranks fifth in the PSAC in receiving yards per game (70.2).
• Against Shepherd on Sept. 20, Egan finished with his first career 100-yard game, catching six passes for 121 yards against the Rams.

 
Two Over the Century Mark

• Against Shepherd on Sept. 20, both Holt Egan and Davon Jones went over the century mark in receiving yards, with Egan catching six passes for 121 yards and Jones eight for 103 yards.
• That is the first time two Golden Eagles went over the 100-yard receiving mark in the same game since Quinn Zinobile (107) and Terrell Ford (115) did it against Shippensburg on Sept. 18, 2021.

 
Money Man

• Receiver Davon Jones has turned into the go-to guy when it it's time to move the chains.
• Jones leads the PSAC and ranks 10th in NCAA Division II with an average of 6.8 receptions per game, and a high percentage of those catches have resulted in either a first down or a touchdown.
• Through four games Jones has recorded five touchdown receptions and 23 catches that would have resulted in first downs; in total, he has 24 total "money" plays.
• Jones ranks second in the PSAC and fifth in Super Region 1 with an average of 89.6 receiving yards per game.
• Jones has now gone over 100 yards receiving in three straight games, just one shy of the four consecutive game streak set by Trevon Tate in October 2024.

 
Nose for the Ball

• Through six games, the Golden Eagles' defensive backfield has had a knack for getting their hands on the football.
• Cornerback Zay Brisbane leads the PSAC with nine pass break-ups, while Christopher Shackleford (7) and Adrian Torres (4) both also rank in the top-10 in the conference.
• While we're talking having a nose for the ball, Clarion defenders have forced seven fumbles this year, second-most in the PSAC.

 
Not So Static Kling

• Defensive tackle Owen Kling was the anchor of the Golden Eagles' defensive line in 2024, earning Second Team All-PSAC West honors.
• The numbers were not gaudy – 16 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks – but the cumulative effect was noticeable as he demanded regular double-teams on the interior.
• Clarion held opponents to a 3.9 yards per carry average for the season.
• This year the Clarion defense ranks third  in the PSAC and second in the West with an average of 95.8 rushing yards allowed per game.

 
Attacking the Backfield

• Against Gannon on Oct. 11, the Golden Eagles recorded five quarterback sacks, the second time this season they've reached the quarterback at least that many times. On Sept. 13 against Shippensburg Clarion finished with five sacks.
• Prior to the game against the Raiders, Clarion had not recorded four or more sacks in a single game since the 2022 season, when they had six against Lock Haven on Sept. 17, 2022 - coincidentally, Raymond Monica's first win as Clarion head coach.
• Defensive end Mathew McGregor leads the team and is tied for fourth in the conference with 5.0 sacks through six games. Griffin Buzzell is just one sack behind him at 4.0 total sacks for the year.
• Clarion has now had three games this season where they have recorded 4.0 or more team sacks, their highest single-season total since doing it four times in 2014.

 
Brisbane Named PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Week

• Zay Brisbane was all over the field in the win over Wheeling on Aug. 28, recording four tackles and swatting away a career-high four passes.
• Four passes defended in a single game is the best total for any Golden Eagle defender since the 1992 season.
• For his efforts, Brisbane earned PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Week honors for Sept. 2.

 
Defense Pitches Shutout in Season Opener

• Clarion kicked off the season with a rare feat, shutting out Wheeling 34-0 in the 2025 opener.
• The goose egg represented the first shutout for the Clarion defense since Aug. 30, 2012, when the Golden Eagles beat Fairmont State by a 7-0 score.
• That marked a span of 130 games between shutouts, as well as a 130-game span between shutouts at Memorial Stadium.
• The Golden Eagles have not had a road shutout since Sept. 9, 1995 at Westminster.
• Clarion didn't just keep the Cardinals off the scoreboard, but also from doing much of anything on offense. They limited Wheeling to 180 yards of total offense, their lowest total since permitting just 111 yards to Lincoln on Sept. 15, 2018.

 
Coming Up Next
The Golden Eagles are finally back at Al Jacks Field to host Seton Hill on Saturday, October 25. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.